Avid Reader is officially The Best Bookstore in the Universe, after winning Australia’s Best Independent Bookshop Award, and now being shortlisted in the London Book Fair International Excellence Awards, alongside two stores in Romania and Portugal. This is no surprise to those of us who know and love Avid, Fiona and all the team, but if you haven’t yet visited this magical shop, you really should. My publisher University of Queensland Press also received great news this month, winning ABIA Best Small Publisher of the Year, for their work showcasing brilliant new writers and poets, First Nations voices and established literary giants. Brisbane is the actual centre of the literary world!
Please continue to support bookstores, publishers and authors by reading books, buying them when you can, borrowing them when you can’t, and most importantly, talking about your favourites and recommending them to others.
Brisbane Writers Festival has concluded for another year, although you can still catch up on most events online. A fantastic weekend filled with inspiring and enthusiastic speakers, many calls to action, and lots of knowledge about First Nations people, climate change and refugees.
If you are a Townsville local, I’d love to see you at one of my two writing workshops in July, supported by the Townsville Writers and Publishers Centre (see events).
Check out my latest recommendations and happy reading!